Sheik
by FlamingBulbinArrow
Summary: The diary of Princess Zelda as she for the Hero of Time to awaken and leave the Sacred Realm. Takes place in the seven years during Ocarina of Time that the gamer doesn't experience.
1. Exile

Finally, the first chapter of my first fic! I actually intend on keeping this story up until the very end. XD

Sorry about the first bit! It'll get better, I promise. XD

Part 1: Kakariko

Lightning splits the sky above our heads, making it seem like midday for a fraction of a second. Impa grabs me by the waist and lifts me up onto my horse, a white stallion named Strider. There is fear in her eyes as she climbs on and sits behind me, taking the reins. She fears for my life, as my bodyguard and as my friend. She barks a command to the horse and flicks the reins, and Strider leaps forward, galloping down the wet cobblestone streets of Castle Town.

As we run from the dark Castle, Impa whispers in my ear, "It's okay. Everything's going to be all right."

But I know in my heart that it's not. I know my life is in danger, and I know that if I die tonight, my beloved kingdom will die as well. I hear a whinny far behind us, and I make the mistake of looking back. The man from the desert is following us on a jet-black horse with wild eyes.

And they're getting closer, fast.

I turn back around to see a soldier in the distance, standing next to the closed drawbridge. Impa yells to him and orders him to lower the bridge, then close it behind us. He pulls the lever and the drawbridge begins to open ever so slowly; so slowly that I fear we won't make it over the moat without stopping.

When we reach the gate, it's just low enough for us to jump off of the edge and onto the grass behind. I can barely make out the form of a boy in the darkness and rain. A blue fairy hovers loyally around his head. It's the boy from the forest, the one I dreamt about and then later sent on a quest to save my kingdom. I know what he will become one day, and he will need the Ocarina of Time. I take it out of a hidden pocket in my dress and throw it his way. Then I close my eyes and pray to the goddesses that they will aid him in the gruesome days to come.

I don't dare look behind me again, for fear of seeing the red-haired man growing closer. Instead, I keep my eyes shut tight and let Impa guide us to where we will hide from the man who killed my father.

I sit against the wall of the cavern while Impa builds a small fire. Link, the boy from the forest, will need to go to the Temple of Time, where he will play the Song of Time to open the door to where the Master Sword sleeps. That much he already knows. But he doesn't know that pulling the sword out of its pedestal will open another door, this one to the Sacred Realm, where he will sleep until he comes of age. At his young age, he is not yet capable of stopping the powerful wizard Ganondorf. I can only hope that he will be ready when the time comes, and that the destruction that Ganondorf will wreak on my beloved Hyrule will not be so great that it can't be fixed. I know now what I have to do. I look over at Impa, who is gently blowing our fire into existence, and make my choice.

"Impa, we can't stay hidden like this for long."

She meets my gaze and, after a moment, replies solemnly, "I know we can't, but we can try. And if we are found, you know that I will protect you with my life."

I have other plans in mind. "It will never come to that, because I'm going to become the enemy."

She looks at me with a mixture of confusion and horror, and I continue.

"I will change my identity and hide in plain sight. I wish to become someone else, someone other than the Princess of Hyrule, and work for Ganondorf."

Her astonishment grows. "You can't possibly mean-"

"Impa, if we keep running from him, it will end in disaster. But the only place he will never look for me is under his own nose."

Worry and fear cross her face, and then she relents. "Zelda, you have always shown wisdom far beyond your years. I see now that this is the best thing to do." She stands and walks over to my side. When I stand as well, she asks, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" I nod, and she kneels in front of me, her right fist across her chest. "Although I fear for your life, I fully agree that it will be safer for you as close to the enemy as possible. I will grant your wish." With this, she walks silently over to where Strider stands patiently in a corner and reaches into a saddlebag, pulling out a bundle.

"You will become one of the Sheikah, one of my people who are long gone. You will say that you are seeking revenge against the Royal Family for the wrongs that they did your ancestors." As she speaks, she brings the bundle over to me. "This is the uniform of a Sheikah warrior that I rescued from the ashes of my home long ago. It will be a crucial part of your disguise, and much better for movement than a dress."

I unfold the bundle and hold it in front of me. A white scarf, a shawl, and rolls of bandages fall from the bundle and onto the floor. The uniform is a white full-body suit that has black and blue along the arms and legs. I lay it aside and pick up the shawl, which is square and bears a black eye pattern with a single tear falling from it. It is the same design that is printed on Impa's armor.

I look back down at the objects on the floor. "What are the bandages for?" I ask.

Impa takes my right hand in hers and lifts it so I can see. When she touches her finger to the back of my hand, my Triforce symbol begins to glow. "For hiding this from Ganondorf," she replies, "and for protecting your body from the elements. The scarf will serve to hide most of your face so that you will not be easily recognizable."

She then helps me to get the uniform on, wrapping my torso and hands with the bandages. The shawl goes over my head and hangs in the front and back of my torso. Impa cuts my hair short, like a boy's, and wraps my head as well. I wrap the scarf loosely around my neck and pull it up over my nose, so that the only visible part of my face is my blue eyes. Impa puts a finger on my forehead and says, "Close your eyes." I do as she says, and notice immediately that something about me has changed. I open my eyes again and everything around me is brighter, clearer, sharper, and more colorful than before. Impa takes her hand away and explains. "You now have the characteristic red eyes of the Sheikah. They will help you to see much clearer than a Hylian would."

She looks down at me gravely. "You will from now on be known as Sheik. Never reveal your true identity to anyone; even those you think are close to you. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the ways of the Sheikah. But for now, you must rest."

"Thank you, Impa. You have always been a wonderful mentor, and a wonderful friend. I put my life into your able hands for the remaining time we have together."

She smiles. "It is my honor, Sheik."

Then she goes to sit near the mouth of the cave and keep watch, while I try to go to sleep. I beg the goddesses for their help on my own journey that begins tomorrow.

_I push Link off of the platform, giggling to myself, and watch him fall. At the very last second before he hits the ground, he opens up the sailcloth and floats down gracefully onto his feet. It makes my heart leap with joy to see my best friend become a knight. I summon my bird and fly down to him, almost knocking him over in a huge tackle-hug._

_"You did it! I'm so proud of you!" I back up a little bit. "So, I was thinking… Since you won the contest and everything… Do you maybe want to… go ride around the clouds together?"_

_He grins. "Yeah, of course!"_

_We run hand in hand to the edge of the monument and jump off, calling our beloved birds, who gracefully scoop us up out of the air. We glide through the air, just enjoying the sun and the wind in our faces. I finally decide to tell him what's on my mind. "You know, Link, I've been wanting to talk to you about something for a long time…" Before I can go on, we spot a black smudge in front of us. "What is that?" Our birds begin to turn around to avoid the black swirling winds, but it's too late. I'm jolted off of my bird and sucked down into the clouds. I reach out for Link, who looks on helplessly before trying to dive in and grab me. He and his bird are thrown out of the winds, and I scream as I fall into the unknown._

I wake to a hand on my mouth. My eyes fly open, and I see Impa standing over me with a finger on her lips. She helps me to stand, and as I look around the cave, I remember where I am.

So all of this wasn't just a bad dream.

I pull my scarf back up over my nose, Impa puts out the fire and scatters the ashes, and we retreat deeper into the cave. I hold my breath, afraid of breathing too loudly. We hear a snort from the outside. Oh, goddesses. We've been found.

Impa looks at me and silently mouths, Kakariko.

At the mouth of the cave, I see every detail of Ganondorf's horse, from its wild glowing red eyes to the intricate workings of its armor. Ganondorf is not in the saddle. Heavy footsteps echo throughout the cave, and Impa stealthily climbs onto Strider. She puts her hands together and closes her eyes. A shadow appears behind her, changing into the shape of a girl; into the shape of me, with my long blonde hair, blue eyes, and royal garb. Impa opens her eyes, looks pointedly at me, and then gallops out of the cave.

Ganondorf appears and leaps onto his own horse, chasing after Impa. There is a hunger in his eyes that sends a chill up my spine. Impa pulls a small seed out of a pouch on her waist and throws it into the ground. Ganondorf shields his eyes from the blinding flash of light it creates, and when it disappears, Impa is gone, taking my terrified image with her. Ganondorf curses and yanks his reins, pulling his horse in the direction that Impa had been going: west, towards the Gerudo Valley.

I keep myself pasted to the back wall of the cave, hiding in the shadows for a few more moments to make sure he is out of sight before I breathe again. Impa was headed west, but I remember what she told me. When I'm sure I can't be followed, I head northeast, towards Death Mountain.

So, that was the first chappie! Hope you liked it, and the next part is coming soon! XD

~FBA~


	2. Shelter

Finally, my second chapter! I've had a hard time finding time to write, but I'll try to be better about it ^^'

The trek across Hyrule Field is brutal. I am so used to the comforts of royal life that getting used to life on the run will be hard.

When I finally, _finally_ reach the steps that lead to Kakariko Village, I feel as if my legs will give out at any second, and I will be stranded on the side of the mountain. I make it, however, and get top of the steps, where Impa materializes out of the shadows and guides me through the village to the place where we will stay. I am so tired, and all I want is to sleep.

"I am so glad you were able to make it across Hyrule Field alone," she says with relief, "and that you could defend yourself on the way here. Are you hurt at all? Do you have any wounds, or cuts, or-"

"Impa! I'm _fine_, all right?! And what do you mean about me defending myself? The way here was clear; I didn't once encounter anyone between the cave and Kakariko."

She frowns. "That's strange. Lately Hyrule Field has become infested with monsters at night."

I look at her, incredulous. "What?! There are monsters out there, and you didn't even tell me about them?!"

She winces. "I might… have forgotten to mention that."

I throw my hands up. "I was out there all alone tonight, _without a weapon_-"

"I gave you a weapon! Don't you remember that there are knives strapped to your wrists?"

I stop and feel my wrists, and sure enough, there is a place just under where each wrist bends where there is a hard spot underneath the tight fabric of my sleeves. I reach under my right sleeve and hook my finger into a loop, pulling a 3-inch blade into view.

Oh. Right. But still.

"You still didn't tell me," I grumble.

"I thought you knew. But why was the field clear tonight?"

"I think they've been waiting. I sense great evil in the presence of Ganondorf. Perhaps he controls them or rules them, and they were waiting for him to throw me out of the castle and become king! Impa, what are we going to do?! He will destroy the entire kingdom before I can do anything! He needs to be stopped, _now_!"

Impa turns and puts her hands on my shoulders. "Zelda. Calm down. There is nothing we can do. Not yet…We have to wait. You're not a princess anymore; let it go. There will come a day when you will return to your throne, but in the meantime, we must do what we can to prepare for that day".

Tears well up in my eyes. "I don't think anyone can prepare for the days to come."

"But we have to try." She puts her arm around me and looks up at the lights of the inn we stand in front of. A sign hangs over the entrance with a peculiar spider painted on it, reading _The Golden Skulltula_.

"Tonight, we need to relax for once."

We walk into the inn and are engulfed in its warmth and light and sound. It is a humble little place, with a bar of sorts on the first floor. There are round wooden tables placed throughout the room, at which a handful of people sit and talk. A large bald man with a bushy white mustache stands behind the bar drying glasses with a towel.

Impa pats me on the back once and goes to lean on the counter and ask the man for a room. I look around the bar at the people chatting about their wives or complaining about recent weather. Something catches my eye: a cloaked figure sits alone at a table in the back corner. The corner is poorly lit and the figure's hood is pulled low over his face, so I can only tell that he is watching me from the chill that goes up my spine. He suddenly looks up, and I see blue eyes and violet—violet!—hair before I look elsewhere, not wanting to be caught staring.

Impa turns around and leaves the counter, throwing another "thank you" over her shoulder before dangling a key from her hand and smiling at me. "Let's go, Sheik."

As we walk up the stairs to our room, a thought occurs to me: "Where is Strider?" I ask.

"I put him away in the stables before you came. He will be well-cared for by the innkeeper".

"Does he still have his saddlebags on him?"

"Yes…"

"Impa!"

She gives me a look. "By the goddesses, I'm getting old. I must have forgotten to get them before turning him in! I'll have to go back". She hands me the key. "Go get settled in. I'll be right back". Then she turns around and goes back down the stairs.

"Wait!" I call after her. "Which room are we-" I hear the inn door open and shut. "…in." _Bulbins, she's already left_.

I look down at the key in my hand, and the number 3 is engraved into the head. Oh. I finish climbing the stairs and look around the small, quiet hallway at the faded green doors with tarnished silver numbers on them. I find the door that says "3" and unlock it, stepping into almost complete darkness. My red Sheikah eyes can still see the two beds and stove that are the only furniture in the tiny room.

A sense of unease overcomes me, and I feel again as if I'm being watched. I can barely hear—if it's not a figment of my imagination—faint breathing, other than my own, behind me. I slowly reach into my right sleeve and hook my middle finger into the knife hidden there. Then I take a deep breath and whirl around, hoping to see whoever was there, but only catching sight of a black wisp of smoke in the hallway. It is deathly quiet.

I decide to go back downstairs to wait for Impa.

I sit at the table nearest to the bar and look over at the dark corner where the violet-haired boy was sitting. He is no longer there. He must have left while we were upstairs.

Impa finally returns, a small brown leather bag slung over her shoulder. We go back to our room, and I collapse on the bed. Before either of us can say a word, my eyes close and I let sleep wash over me.

_I wake in a strange place, the likes of which I've never seen before. The air here smells different. I'm sitting on the same grass as in Skyloft, and there are trees, but there is much, much more of both. I'm surrounded by trees, ten times larger than the scant few you can find at home. Tiny, tiny multicolored birds hop around on the ground around me._ How can birds be so small?_ I try to remember what happened, how I got here. Oh, that's right. Link won the contest and became a knight, and I was going to tell him how I feel, until…_

_I sit up and stretch my sore limbs. I must have fallen down to the Surface. So it is real! I was right all along!_

_I get up and look around, breathing in the new air, and see a vine-draped stone building not too far away. On my way toward the strange building, I let my eyes wander, studying my new surroundings._

_I come to a moss-covered door, and have to use my shoulder to push it open. Once there is enough room for me to go inside, I squeeze through and enter._

_"Hello? Is anyone here?"_

_"Hello, Zelda. Welcome to the Surface."_

Rays of sunlight throw themselves across the room, and tiny specs of dust glitter in their path. Impa walks into the room and announces, "Breakfast time! Come on, sleepyhead!"

As we sit at a rickety table downstairs, Impa lays out her plans. "Today, I'm going to teach you the fighting techniques of the Sheikah," she says, "and when you are ready, you will have to leave me."

My eyes widen. "What?!"

Impa shushes me and drops her voice. "Sheik, it's too dangerous for you to stay with me. I am Princess Zelda's bodyguard, and if I'm seen with a ten-year-old child, regardless of apparent gender, what will that mean to Ganondorf?"

"But-"

"Sheik, you can't pass for my son for very long. People are going to suspect you are the Princess of Hyrule in disguise, or that you know something of her whereabouts."

I look over her shoulder to see the bald man staring at us. I stand up.

"Don't tell me you think I _know_ something! The princess disappeared just the night before! How should_ I_ know where she is?!"

Impa's eyes widen, then she realizes what I'm doing, and I see a hint of a smile spread across her face, then disappear just as quickly as it came. "Calm down, Sheik. You'll get your revenge soon enough. I probably won't get to see it, though. I'm just glad I left. I couldn't stand babysitting that freak of nature anymore."

Good. Now, if that man has a large mouth or works for the enemy, he will spread the news that Impa has abandoned the Princess and left her for dead.

And I'm also off the hook.

And that was Chapter 2! Please review, and the third chappie will be up soon! XD

~FBA~


	3. Preparation

"Almost. Try again. Put your feet like this."

I plant my feet on the ground the way she is showing me and throw the blade in my hand. The handle hits the right edge of the target and sends the knife spinning. I throw my hands up and cry out in frustration.

"_Bulbins_, Impa, how do you expect me to do something so_ hard?!_"

"Just try again. You're getting close."

"No, I'm not," I mumble, but I take the next knife from her hand anyway. I try again, this time throwing a little further to the left. The handle bounces off of the center of the target. Impa smiles.

"See? You have perfect aim. Now you just need to learn how to make it stick." She stands next to me and throws a knife, and the blade smacks into the center of the target, quivering. "Like that. First, figure out how hard you need to throw it, then the rest will come to you."

Another knife appears in her hand out of nowhere, and she holds it out to me. "Try one last time."

I sigh and take it. I plant my feet, size up the target, and throw. The knife sticks into the target just off of the bulls-eye mark. I grin and look over to Impa who grins back at me.

Maybe I can do this after all.

Over the course of the day we train with throwing knives, long knives, and tiny poison needles, as well as smoke bombs and flash bombs; and by the time the sun begins to set, I am frustrated and exhausted.

I slouch, letting my left hand hang at my side, and hold my aching head in my right.

"Come on, Sheik. Don't give up. Try one last time."

You have_ got_ to be kidding me. That is just about the _billionth_ time she has said that all day. I'm bruised all over from sparring for twelve straight hours, and my stomach groans loudly.

"_Fine_. One last time, and then can we please get something to eat?"

She raises her eyebrows. "Are you _sure_ you want to stop?" I glare at her, and she laughs out loud. "Alright, alright. This time give it your all, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you go."

I back up a little, and we both get into a fighting stance. I make the first move, lunging at her side with my right fist. She slides to the left and pokes me hard in the arm with two fingers. I feel it go limp. _Bulbins!_ I turn and throw a kick at her legs, hoping to catch her off balance, but she quickly grabs my foot and swings it around, flipping me over so that I land on the ground face down.

I hit the ground hard, and my breath is knocked out of my lungs. I lay on my stomach and gasp for breath for a moment, and when I find it, I roll over and spread my arms on the ground, closing my eyes.

I hear Impa's heavy footsteps approaching me, and I open my eyes to see her standing over me with her hands on her hips. "Well, you've got the right idea at least." She reaches out her hand and I take it, letting her pull me up off of the ground. "You've just got to be much faster. You don't have to be stronger than your opponent to bring them down. You only have to be quick enough to evade their attacks, and be able to recognize and take advantage of their weak points. I didn't even have to strike you this time; all I had to do was find your weak point, which when you kicked was your balance, and use it against you."

"I'm_ trying_, Impa, I really am-"

"And you're getting it. You're learning much faster than anyone else I have ever taught. The things that you have learned in one day would take a Hylian soldier months to learn and perfect."

My stomach growls again, threatening to tear itself out of my body and find its own food. Impa laughs. "We had better get that Wolfos of yours to a dinner table, quick!"

I giggle. "Hurry, before it eats a hole in me!"

"Run! I don't think it'll wait much longer!"

She starts to sprint to the inn, and I follow her, laughing, ignoring the pain in my limbs and actually enjoying myself for once.

_Inside the building is a temple, with an enormous chunk of some strange stone right in the middle. An old woman sits cross-legged in front of me, her face drooping with age, and a single, wound-up braid swings back and forth from her head._

_"How do you know my name?" I ask._

_The woman chuckles. "I know quite a few things, dear. Soon, you will, too." She leans forward. "I've been waiting a long time for you to arrive, Zelda. The entire world is in danger, and you are going to help save it."_

_This blows me away. "What?! Just a few minutes ago, I was home, riding around the sky with Link, and now-" Link. I just can't get my mind off of him. What is he doing now? Is he looking for me? What will father do when he finds out I'm gone?_

_...How am I going to get back?_

_The woman stands slowly and takes my hand. She is only about half as tall as I am, but the red cloak she wears has a spire on it that makes her seem taller. "Come, child," she says, "We have work to do."_

_She leads me out to the place where I landed, a green patch of grass right outside the temple. The soft grass still has an imprint where I fell. The woman points to a gate that I hadn't noticed before._

_"That path leads into the forest. You must go to the Skyview Temple, which resides deep in the heart of the Faron Woods, and purify yourself in the waters of the spring. There, you will gain knowledge about your quest, and your purpose in being here."_

_What? This woman is talking in riddles! "What are you _talking_ about? I just got here! I don't even know _how_ I got here, or why-"_

_"If you do this, you will understand. Now, once you go into the forest, find Bucha, and he will show you the way to the temple."_

_I relent. Perhaps I will make sense of all of this if I just do as she says. "Fine, all right." I start toward the open gate, and the woman calls after me._

_"You have a very important role to play in the saving of this world. _Be careful_."_

_This woman must be crazy._

_But I have nowhere else to go, so I enter the forest, curious as to what exactly a forest _is_, and begin my quest._

Wow, I've really been slacking. My life has been CRAZY busy for the past few weeks. Sorry, guys. I'll get better, though, promise! XD

I love you all! Please review, I'd greatly appreciate your feedback!

~FBA~


	4. Ruin

**Hey, guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've uploaded. School's been hectic now that it's almost the end of the year. Hopefully I'll get more time to write this summer. XD**

**Alright, Chapter 4! This is the good, juicy part. Grab a box of tissues, and enjoy! Hope you like it! ~FBA~**

**()**

I wake to see Impa standing over me. "Wake up! It's time to go train!" I groan. "Do we have to?" I know the answer before she says it.

"Yes, we have to! Come on, let's go!" She starts towards the door, and when she gets there, I'm still in bed, bemoaning my sore limbs. "Better get up, or I'll eat your breakfast for you!"

At this, I'm fully awake. I jump out of bed and chase after her. "Oh, no, you don't!" I get downstairs and stop dead in my tracks. The tables are overturned; the ceiling lamps are smashed, leaving oil all over the floor; broken plates and glasses are strewn around the room.

The only light in the inn is the weak morning sunlight, but I can still see the bald man cowering behind his counter. He squats, covering his head, whimpering like a child. Two huge, armored skeletons block the doorway. I quickly crouch behind a table, hiding in the dim light of the destroyed inn. Impa crosses her arms, not flinching even slightly.

"What do you want here?" Impa demands.

One of the skeletons opens its jaws and emits a series of groans, unintelligible to my ears. Without hesitation, Impa answers, "Well, I'm not going." The skeleton groans again, this time louder and more urgent. "My answer is _no_. I'll not work for anyone anymore. Not the Princess, not Ganondorf, not _anybody_. _Understand?_"

The skeleton grunts, and both of the brutes draw their gigantic rusty swords. Impa strikes in a blur of movement, somehow knocking both skeletons' heads clean off. But they continue to advance, as if unscathed.

One headless skeleton raises its sword to deliver a blow, but before it can, Impa grabs its armor-plated arm and snaps it off.

There is nothing but dark energy holding those bones together, so they can be easily separated; but that same dark energy is what keeps the skeletons moving despite their missing heads.

Impa disassembles both skeletons with a few quick, hard blows, and then as the dark magic disappears, she turns around to address the wretch hiding behind the safety of his pathetic little bar.

As she turns, a curved black blade appears in the middle of her chest. She looks down at it in shock, then back up in my direction, eyes wide and mouth open.

She falls to her knees.

Behind her stands a cloaked figure, its face hidden in its hood.

I see blue eyes and violet-colored hair as the figure looks up. It is a boy, about the same age as me, but there is no innocence or fright on his face. He flashes a toothy grin.

He's enjoying it.

He leans over to speak into Impa's ear.

"Those idiotic Darknuts don't have a clue how to kill a person. They are such clumsy creatures."

He yanks the knife viciously out of Impa's back, sending blood flying.

Impa twists and falls to the ground, landing on her side in a growing pool of blood. I cover my mouth and nose, and silent tears stream from my eyes.

The boy laughs out loud, the horrible sound echoing throughout the room, and vanishes in a wisp of black smoke.

"_Impa!_" I run to her and kneel, lifting her head into my lap. She smiles weakly at me, speaking between shallow breaths.

"I am glad...to have died...protecting you. You must now...go to...Kokiri Forest…Find the girl with...with the green hair…"

I raise a hand to swipe tears from my eyes. The dark pool around me is growing larger. "Impa, don't leave me!"

"You know in your heart...that I have to go. You will be...as you always _have_ been...Wonderful."

As her eyes cloud over, I decide not to let her die.

I shut my eyes tight; all of the fear and regret and anger and hatred I have ever felt in my short life course through me. I look up to see the stooped form of a person appear in the doorway. A wind seems to blow through the room. My vision becomes blurry. I hear the crackling of flames, and a scream that sounds far away but actually belongs to me.

And then everything goes black.

()

_I can't even fathom the things I see in the forest. There are trees _everywhere_! We only have two or three sizeable trees at home. The forest is also littered with gelatinous blob plants with hats, ones that bounce around and send glitter showering down when you smack them. Tiny birds, a hundred times smaller than the smallest Loftwing,_  
><em>dance around my feet. The air is thick and warm.<em>

_I have no idea where to go. Who is Bucha? That woman made no sense._

_There is a small tuft of grass on the path that I walk. As I come closer to it, it trembles a bit, and a large blue flower springs up from the ground, making me jump a little. The flower has a hard shell that is split in half, and a long, orange tongue lolls out of the crack. "Uh, hello," I say tentatively, wondering whether this thing can understand. Suddenly, __it snaps at me, sending spittle flying. I squeal and jump back. _Alright_, I think to myself, _some things in this forest are not as friendly as they look_. I skirt the flower, staying a reasonable few feet away from it, and it turns on its stem to watch me, drool dripping from its mouth. _Oh, please, don't suddenly sprout legs_…_

_I keep waking, admiring the beauty around me. There are patches of grass scattered around the forest floor, and I step into one,_  
><em>admiring the tiny flowers that grow around it. I bend down to pluck a tuft of grass from the ground, but when I tug on it, it makes a loud squeak. I squeal and tumble backwards onto my rear end as the tuft of grass disappears and a small mouse-like creature appears in its place. The creature is furry and brown, with a spiral-shaped sprout on its head and a small parcel on its back that looks like a flower bud. It looks up at me for a moment, trembling, and then turns and runs a few yards away, falling on its face. As soon as its little tan belly hits the ground, the bud on its back opens and a tuft of grass appears.<em>

So this creature disguises itself as a plant. A furry creature that's part plant, and a plant with a mouth and teeth like a creature? What strange things live down here_, I think to myself as I stand and brush myself off. I have a feeling that the little plant-mouse is harmless, but I still move carefully as I approach the thing. I bend down and poke it lightly, and it jumps up again and runs a few yards away, into another patch of grass. I chase after it this time, and as I search the patch for a little brown body, I try talking to it._

_"I'm not going to hurt you," I say to the air. __"I'm just lost, and I don't know where to go."_

_"You can talk?" a soft voice rises from the grass. Even though I was half-expecting it, it still startles me. The plant-mouse stands up,_  
><em>retracting its grass tuft, and peers up at me.<em>

_"_Kee-paleep!_ I thought you were one of those ugly monsters. But you're not as ugly as them."_

_"Monsters?"_

_"Yes. There have been a lot more monsters in these woods lately. Big red monsters with sticks and sharp teeth." I puzzle over this for a second. I haven't seen any red monsters. The mouse pipes up again. "My name's Machi. What's your name? What kind of monster are you?"_

_"My name is Zelda, and I'm not a monster, I'm a girl. I fell from the sky and came into the forest, and now I don't know where to go. I met an old woman who told me to go find 'Bucha', and I don't know-"_

_"_Bucha!_He's the leader of the Kikwi. _He_ can tell you where to go! Come on!"_

_Machi grabs the hem of my skirt and pulls. I let him lead me for a ways, but then I start to hear strange noises in the distance. __Machi and I turn to see two ugly red monsters wearing belts and horns and necklaces of teeth come running towards us._

_"That's them! __Run!" cries Machi, and he darts away to hide in the grass. I have to face these brutes alone._

_At the Knight Academy, we learn to fight to protect ourselves from the creatures that come out at night on Skyloft. I've never had to protect myself from anything before, __because only fully-fledged Knights are allowed outside at night; and I don't have a sword, so I clench my fists and do my best. One of the monsters swings a huge steak knife at me. I lean back just in time and avoid getting my head bashed in, and turn to punch the other monster in the face. It raises its knife in a blink of an eye, and my fist connects with the side of it, sending chills up my spine and bruising my knuckles. I grab my injured fist with my other hand and wince. I turn my head in time to see the first creature swing the handle of his knife at me. I see an explosion of stars, and then blackness._

**()**

**Whew, Chappie 4! This is my personal favorite so far. Sorry it was a bit long, but the lengthiness makes sense in the next chapter. Please review, and I love you all! **

**~FBA~**


	5. Renewal

**Hey, everyone! Sorry about the super-long break between chapters; I've been really busy this summer, believe it or not, between the happenings at home and the art that I'm doing for people. But finally, it's finished! Enjoy Chapter 5!**

**~FBA~**

**()**

I walk through the enormous log tunnel that leads to the forest, wondering what the children who live here will think of me, with my red eyes and blood-stained uniform.

I wonder if they'll even let me in.

The log tunnel opens up to a tiny part of the forest. Tall, skinny trees shoot up from the ground to join the dense canopy above. A rope bridge hangs in front of me, swaying in the light breeze. The air is thick with the sounds of the forest creatures and smells delightfully cozy.

_Just like...just like...the garden...at the castle…_

I shake my head vigorously. I've got to stay awake. It has taken me an entire day to cross Hyrule, and having to run from those bulbous flying death plants across Hyrule Field didn't help me, either.

I slowly step onto the bridge, and when I find that it is completely sturdy, I walk across and then through another log tunnel into Link's hometown, the Kokiri Village.

It seems empty but for a few quaint little tree houses and different-colored fairies floating around in small circles. The nearest one to me seems to turn around to look at me, and then jumps back in surprise, making a sound like a ringing bell.

"Ah, hello…" I say timidly, doubting that the fairy will answer.

"HI!" I'm so surprised, I almost fall over backwards as a little blond girl dressed in green appears right in front of me. "Who're you? What's your name? My name's Fado. Why d'you have berry juice all over you? Didja bring any friends? What's it like where you came from? Are there lots of trees, or plants, or-"

She stops to suck in a huge breath, gasping for air for a moment, so I take the chance to interrupt her.

"I'm here to see the girl with the green hair who lives here."

"Oh, you mean Saria? She's great. She's a little sad, though, since Link left. She's over in the Lost Woods. I can take you there if you like-"

"That would be great, thanks."

"M'kay!" She turns and skips away, two little blond buns bouncing on her head, and I follow her as best I can. I look around me, and where before there were only fairies, little blond boys and girls in green play happily.

We reach yet another log tunnel on a hill, and Fado skips right inside, her fairy lighting the way for us. Before I go in, I notice a stone planted into the ground to the left of the entrance. Carved into it is the same eye-and-tear symbol as the one on my bloody smock.

"Wait!" I call to Fado before she gets too far. "What's this?"

She turns around. "Oh, that's a Sheikah Stone. It tells the time for us. Oh, look, it has the same thing that's on your shirt. Did the two of you come from the same place? What does that symbol mean, anyway?"

In a fit of curiosity, I reach out to feel the stone, and once my hand touches it, the iris of its eye turns red. I jump back, suffering from the second heart attack that I've had in the last five minutes.

"Boing-oing!" it yells. "It's 19:00!"

Fado gives it a lopsided grin. "Huh."

I tear my eyes away from the stone. "Um… We should probably…"

"Oh, yeah! Right this way!" She skips away again, into the dark tunnel.

()

She leads me through a series of twists and turns, through tiny clearings that all look the same. After a while, I begin to wonder if we are actually going in circles, and the repetitiveness of right-left-right-left-straight-left-right is making me dizzy.

Then I hear a faint strain of music coming from far away. "Almost there!" Fado quips. The lilting music grows louder the more turns we take, as we go deeper and deeper into the forest.

We finally emerge into a larger clearing that looks different from the rest. A gate of sorts sits in front of us a few feet away, with a wall of trees directly behind it.

"Welp, this is as far as I go! Good luck, and watch out for wild Dekus!" Fado turns and skips away.

I call after her. "Wait! What?! What are Dekus?!"

The girl disappears through the tunnel behind me, leaving me alone with the strange music thrumming in my ears. I turn back around and sigh.

I'm going to have to go through a maze, in the heart of the famous Lost Woods, where everyone but the natives gets lost.

By myself.

I walk in, trying to come up with a plan for figuring out the maze, and immediately I'm pelted with Deku Nuts.

"Ow!" I howl as I turn to the right and throw a knife at the little leafy creature sitting in a pile of its own leaves a few feet away. It hits the little jerk right between its yellow eyes, and it squeaks loudly and disappears.

So _that_ is what Fado was talking about.

I rub my sore right arm where I was hit, resolving to be more careful next time I turn a corner. There is a dead end to my left with a pool of water, so I turn right. Before I retrieve my knife, I peek around the next corner. There is another pile of red-and-orange leaves at the next intersection. I pull out another knife and get ready to throw.

As I leap out into the intersection, another Deku pops out of the leaf pile, and I throw my knife at it before it can shoot more nuts at me. It hits home, and the second Deku disappears with a loud squeak much like the first.

Okay.

I run through the maze, finding another Deku at every corner. When I get to the end, I find an old stone stairway with yet more Dekus at the top. The music sounds very close. I jog up the stairs, kill the creatures, and emerge into a clearing, where a little girl in green sits on a log, playing a little clay ocarina.

Her hair is a startlingly bright green.

When I come into the clearing, she looks up at me and smiles. The music stops.

"Oh, hello! You look so tired. Come, sit!" She pats the log next to her, and I gladly oblige, exhausted from walking for hours on end.

"Are you Saria?" I ask.

She giggles. "Yes, I am. I'm sure you could tell, though."

Her hair _is_ a bit of a trademark. Everyone else here has blond hair.

"So, what brings you here?"

I look at her. "What?"

"Well, you tried so hard to get here, I just figured, y'know…"

I turn and stare into space, wracking my brain. Why _did_ I come?

"I haven't the faintest idea. My friend Impa sent me. She didn't even tell me why."

I turn back to see her giving me a strange look. "You _do_ look like her…"

After a moment, she seems to snap back into reality, and she stands up, offering me a and. "Well, you're going to need a place to stay for the next few days, right? You can stay at my house! Oh, but you'll have to get cleaned up first!"

()

_I wake up with a horrible headache. _What a crazy dream that was, _I think to myself. _I dreamt that I was on the Surface, and there were strange creatures, and I was knocked unconscious… _I slowly open my eyes, expecting to wake up in my room with the sunlight shining through my window, but when my vision clears, I find myself on the ground, grass tickling my nose. I sit up and rub my aching forehead, wondering just _where on Skyloft…

_Oh no. It wasn't a dream._

_I am sitting in a cage on the Surface, with three ugly red monster goons staring at me through the bars._

_I stand up, ready to fight, and grab onto the bars of the wooden cage, causing the monsters to flinch. "You will let me out of here right now, or I will make you suffer!" I roar. Their eyes go wide, but they all stay put. I hurl all manner of threats and insults at them, but they don't understand me, of course. One by one, they retreat back to where they had set up a tiny campfire while I was asleep. I scream at them until my voice goes hoarse, and then, giving up, I plop down onto the ground. I look around the outside of the cage for something I could use to break myself out with, but there is nothing useful within reach, just grass and tiny flowers._

Oh, Goddess Hylia, _I pray, _what am I going to do? What will they do to me? Are they going to eat me? I won't get into a stew pot without a fight, but I don't think that eating me is their intention…

_Before I can think of anything more, I hear an echoing booming sound coming from the forest. I and my captors turn toward the noise to see an enormous furry brown creature storm into the little camp._

_I have no idea whether to be happy or terrified, so I watch as the thing approaches my captors and stops a few feet away from them. They stare up at it for a few seconds, blown away by its sheer size, and then they charge it, screaming and waving their meat knives in the air. The thing leans forward and falls over on its face, right on top of their heads. As the thing lays there, I hear three popping noises, and purple smoke curls from underneath its belly. It stands up, and where before there were three monster goons, there is nothing. The thing squashed them like bugs._

_As the brown furry thing turns towards me, I begin to realize what it-he-is._

_A giant Kikwi._

()

I wake to find Fado standing over me. I jump up. "Whoa! Fado! W-what are you doing staring at me like that?!"

"I dunno. You look cute when you're sleeping."

I hear another female voice in the room. "Sorry, she has a habit of doing that."

Fado rolls her eyes at her fairy. "Oh, shut up, Mafl. You _know_ it's fun."

I interrupt. "What time is it?"

Fado shrugs. "I dunno. Lunch time almost, I think. Hey, have you met anybody yet? I mean, besides me and Saria? I don't think Mido'll be happy to see you, though. Sometimes he's not very nice. He doesn't like people who don't have fairies. Or maybe he was just mean to Link because he _lived _here and didn't have a fairy. Everybody here has a fairy, but Link only got one just a couple days ago. But you don't live here, and you don't have a fairy either-"

"No, I don't. Nobody has their own fairy in the outside world. We only have each other."

"Oh, that's sad."

"Not really. I'd love to have a fairy companion, but all I need is my friends… Do you know where Saria is?"

She sits on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs. "Nope. Well, actually, she's probably in her place in the Lost Woods where she likes to go. I sometimes get worried about her, though. Any Kokiri who gets lost in the Lost Woods turns into a Skull Kid and never comes back. I hope Saria never gets lost. Have you ever met a Skull Kid before? They're fun to play with, but they never want to come out of the Woods. Why do you think that is? I wonder if they ever get lonely…"

I tune her out and walk out of Saria's little tree house into the village. Fado follows me, still talking.

"This one time, I was playing with a Skull Kid, and he was playing his flute and we were dancing-hey, you should go to meet the Know-It-All Brothers! They live up on top of that hill up there. They know all kinds of stuff-"

"_Okay_, okay. I'll go up to meet them."

I walk up the hill and head towards the tree house at the top, dreading meeting _anybody_ labeled a Know-It-All, but I find something else more interesting. There is a small area at the top of the hill with fences set up in a pattern-sort of like a miniature obstacle course. I easily walk through and come to a hole at the base of a wall of vines. It looks just big enough to crawl into.

"Hey, you shouldn't go in there!"

I turn around to see a Kokiri boy coming out of the tree house behind me. "Why not?"

He points to the hole. "There's a monster in there."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

I pretend to think for a moment. "Thanks. I'll watch out for it."

I crawl through the hole, leaving the boy yelling behind me, and on the other side, it looks like another maze. A loud rumbling sound is coming from the left, and the springy ground beneath my feet vibrates. I run into the maze, knives ready, and am almost run over by a gigantic boulder.

"Whoa!" I jump to the side as the boulder rolls by, turning the corner as if it can control where it's going. I walk through the maze, slower and more carefully this time, until I reach a tiny open chest sitting in a corner, and look inside to find nothing but an imprint of a small sword. I look a bit closer and see an engraving of a woman holding the U-shaped instrument I had seen in my dreams.

"The Great Deku Tree always told us a story about that thing."

I jump out of my skin, whirling around to see Fado leaning over my shoulder. "Why do you keep sneaking up on me like that?!" She withdraws a bit, making me regret blowing up at her. "Sorry, I'm not used to, you know, people appearing right in my face, and coming up behind me and…"

To my relief, she perks up again. "Okay. I'll try harder not to pop up out of nowhere. But let me tell you the story the Great Deku Tree tells us: Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a village above the clouds where a boy and a girl lived. They had these huge birds that they would ride around the sky on-" here she threw her arms open wide to show just how big they were- "and one day, while the boy and the girl were riding together, a big black tornado came and sucked the girl down onto the ground. The boy went down to look for the girl, who was his best friend. He found that he played a part in a prophecy and was destined to save the world from an ancient evil, and the girl had an even more important role to play. She found out that she was an incarnate of the goddess Hylia, and she had to complete a quest to become the true Goddess. She was-"

"Wait," I interrupt. "Sorry, I just remembered something. You said the girl in the story had a big bird-"

"Yeah."

"-And she fell down onto the ground-"

"Yeah, and she got lost, but an old lady helped her find her way to where she needed to go."

I stare open-mouthed at Fado. "It's the girl from my dreams…"

"Wh-what?"

I'm excited now. There must be some connection between me and the girl from my dreams. Maybe if I learn more about her, it will help me figure out what to do! "Fado, you have to lead me to the Great Deku Tree! I need to speak to him!"

Fado gives me a look, and then her expression falls. She looks down. "The Great Deku Tree is dead."

I am devastated. "What?! How?!"

"A few weeks ago, he called Link to him because he was sick. Link went inside the Tree, and when he came out, he left the forest right away. Saria went to see if the Great Deku Tree was okay, but when she got there, all his leaves had fallen off… And he was…"

A sob escapes her mouth. I grab ahold of her shoulders. "Hey. Look at me." She lifts her eyes to mine. "I know the Great Deku Tree took very good care of the forest, and of you. But I also know that he wouldn't want you to cry over him. No one ever does."

"Mido thinks that Link killed him."

"Link didn't kill him. I met Link before I came here, and he was on his way to do what the Great Deku Tree told him. He died because he was sick, and nobody could help him. But you of all people should know that the Forest brings life, and makes old life new. That's why the Kokiri never grow old."

She wipes a tear from her eye with the back of her hand. "I guess so…"

"Fado, I'd like to go pay my respects. Would you take me to him?"

She sniffs and then smiles. "Sure. Follow me!" At last returned to her old hyperactive self, she skips away towards the village, gracefully avoiding the boulder as it rolls past her. I smile, relieved, and follow her to the Great Deku Tree's resting place.

**()**

**How'd you like it? This one's a bit lengthy-the longest so far-but I hope you liked it! This is where I'm thinking the story will pick up a little bit, especially with SS Zelda. Many more adventures to come! Please review, your input is greatly appreciated! XD**

**~FBA~**


	6. Connection

**Sorry for the wait, everybody! I was so excited about uploading this chapter to deviantART that I forgot about FanFiction! (Maybe not the best thing to admit to my FF readers ^^') But my original plan was to upload to FanFiction as soon as each chapter is finished, then upload to dA twice a month, and I'm going to get back on track with that now!**

**It's gonna be a few days until the next chapter's done, but for now, enjoy Chapter 6! XD**

My stomach grumbles. I realize that it's been days since my last meal. As we walk into the village, I catch the smell of food drifting from some of the houses, and my mouth waters. Fado grabs my hand and pulls me toward the spot in the middle of the village where several Kokiri were busy setting up a huge, long table with all sorts of food. It amazes me how Fado can recover so quickly, and my heart and stomach leap with joy at the sight of such a feast.

Once everything is ready, which takes no time at all, I sit between Fado and Saria and eat my fill along with everyone else. All the food is delicious: salads, tarts, puddings, every manner of delicacies, and not one with meat. The forest is the Kokiri's home, and it provides them the food they need. There is no need to kill any of the animals that live peacefully in harmony with each other here. I learn this from the Know-It-All Brothers, who I finally get the chance to meet and now wish I hadn't.

The boys goof off and crack jokes, the girls giggle and talk about absolutely nothing, and they all sit and talk with me like I've been their friend for as long as they can remember. All except for Mido, who puts on a mask of mild happiness and pretends to have fun with the rest of us.

I can't help but notice the sadness behind his eyes.

After supper, I seek him out, and find him sitting in the same place as before, guarding the path to the Great Deku Tree as if someone were to come and try to harm the wise giant even after his death.

"Mido," I say, not sure how to begin.

"What? What could you possibly want now?"

The bitterness in his voice startles me, but I regain my composure and reply, "I want to apologize." He looks up, confused, and I continue, "I shouldn't have come here unannounced, especially so soon after the death of a dear friend. My friend Impa sent me here to talk to Saria-"

"Impa? She's the one who sent you here? I should've known, judging by the way you dress."

I'm not sure whether his knowing Impa is a good thing or not, until he speaks again.

"Impa was a good friend of the Great Deku Tree, and she and Saria were so close, they were like sisters. She used to come to the Forest all the time, but then a few years ago, she just stopped coming. We thought something happened to her, especially when a strange lady came into the forest one night and fell asleep in front of the Great Deku Tree told us she ran away from a war. That was when Impa stopped coming to visit, and we all thought she died in the war. It's… It's good to hear that she didn't… But why did she stop coming?

I'm so surprised by his story that it takes me a moment to reply. "I don't know, Mido, but maybe it was because of me. She took care of me and raised me as her own. She's been my friend for as long as I can remember. But a few days ago she got hurt very badly, and it will take her a long time to heal. She sent me here to talk to Saria and to the Great Deku Tree, but… I don't know why. What did she want me to know…?"

I dissolve into deep thought, and there is a moment when the only sounds are those of fairies and the giggles of the other children coming from the far side of the village.

"Mido… Will you come with me into the Great Deku Tree tomorrow?"

He looks up at me in astonishment. "B-but nobody's gone inside since-"

"I know, I know. But I think that if we go now, we can both find some answers."

"...Okay."

_The huge Kikwi stomps over to my cage and looks down at me with beady eyes. I'm still a bit terrified, even knowing that he is a Kikwi._

"_Kyoooo, you poor thing," he lilts. "Let me get you out of there." He grabs the bars of my cage and tries to lift it with spindly little arms, but it won't budge. "Oh, dear," He huffs, out of breath. "It looks like we'll need some help." Then he lifts his head and whistles loudly. After a moment, five little Kikwi come running from every direction._

_I recognize Machi, and she is the first to speak. "What is it, Chief Bucha?"_

"_We have to get the poor creature out of this cage."_

"_Okay!"_

_The Kikwi gather in a circle around my cage and each grab the bars with their tiny hands._

"_One, two, three, _Kyooooooooo!" _Bucha bellows, and the Kikwi lift my cage off of me enough for me to crawl out. I turn over and lay on my back, sighing gratefully._

_Machi speaks up again. "This is Zelda. I met her a while ago, and she's really nice."_

"_Oooh, is she? Hoo hoo hoo," Bucha chortles._

"_So you're Bucha?" I ask hoarsely. "An old woman told me to come find you. She said you'd tell me where the Skyview Temple is."_

_Bucha turns toward Machi. "She can talk?" Machi nods. He turns back to me and chuckles again. "Of course! Come on and let me show you."_

_He waddles into the forest, and I follow him, leaving the other Kikwi behind. "Don't you want to come with us?" I ask._

"_Oh, no," one of them says. "We've got to hide from the monsters so they don't trap us like they did to you!"_

"_But you put up a good fight earlier," another says, "and you should be safe with Bucha, so you don't need to hide. See you later!"_

_They scatter in all directions, and I continue to follow Bucha into the forest. We continue walking, skirting monsters of all kinds, until we reach a small building with stairs. Past the building is a ledge with a tunnel in the trees leading away._

_Bucha turns to me and speaks. "The Skyview Temple is through this tunnel. There are a lot of gaps to cross and a few monsters to avoid, so be careful. But inside the temple is riddled with monsters. Big, scary monsters." He shudders. "I would help you further, but I have to look after my people." He looks up at the ledge. "This ledge is much too high for you to climb, but if you hop on my back, I'm sure you'll make it to the top." He flops down onto his belly right in front of the ledge. I climb on and haul myself up onto the grass above, then turn to face him as he says, "Good luck! Hoo hoo!"_

_I wave. "Thank you for your help!" Then I enter the tunnel warily, hoping I won't encounter any more monsters._

_When I reach the enormous temple, with its vine-covered ivory walls towering over me, I hear footsteps padding quickly up behind me. I whirl around, again regretting my lack of a weapon, and face… Another human._

_She stops running when she gets closer, and strides up to me on long legs. She is tall and willowy, looking almost skinny enough that she would break in half if she bent over. She wears strangely familiar garb with an eye embroidered on the front of her chest. A tear is tattooed under her eye._

"_My name is Impa," she says in a rich, deep female voice, bowing slightly. "I have come to help you on your mission."_

"_What mission?" I ask. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing! I fell down here from the clouds, and an old lady told me to come to the Temple, and a giant mouse-plant thing told me there's tons of monsters in there, and I don't even have anything to defend myself with-"_

"_You will find out in good time, Zelda. My job is to help you find your true self." _How does everyone down here know my name? _I wonder, a bit impatiently. She continues. "We must go to the spring at the heart of the Temple, and you will learn much about your quest there. For now, while we are inside the Temple, you must trust me to protect you. Do you understand?"_

_I think for a minute. _I guess I have no choice…

"_Alright. I hope that you're telling the truth, and that this whole thing will clear up soon."_

_We go through the Skyview Temple, Impa keeping true to her word and keeping me safe from the monsters we encounter. We solve the puzzles together and make it all the way through to the largest door I've ever seen. Everything on the Surface is huge to me, even the doors to places!_

_The room behind the door is just as big as I imagined. Unlike the rest of the Temple, it's empty and cold. We walk straight through to a door with a familiar mark on it: three golden triangles together as one, over the pattern of a bird's wings and tail and feet, the triangles making the shape of a beak. There are symbols all around the door frame._

_Where have I seen this mark before?_

_Suddenly I hear a sound behind us, a kind of shifting, silent sound that's hard to explain. Impa and I turn around to see black, red, and white diamonds forming in a spot in midair._

"_What is that?" I ask._

_Impa grabs my hand. "We have to go now. Hurry!"_

_We turn back toward the door. I'm in a state of mild panic. I don't know what's going on! Why doesn't anyone explain anything to me? I touch the door with my hand, looking for a keyhole or a hidden knob or something, and to my surprise, the door emits a bright golden glow and opens. We rush through and it closes behind us._

_The place we run into is beautiful, filled with running water, the entire place a shallow pool with dozens of tiny birds bathing and splashing in the clear water. We are standing on a white stone path that leads across stepping stones to a monument to the Goddess Hylia. On top of an altar sits a small statue of the Goddess, just like the huge monument on Skyloft that I've seen every day and know so well._

_We both walk up to the altar, and I see the same shape as was on the door, floating above it as if it had wings, and in front of the symbol is a hollow in the altar, about as wide and long as my hand._

_Impa speaks up. "Do you have the golden instrument?"_

_The what? I look down at my hip, where hangs the golden "harp" my father gave me for the Knight Ceremony. I take it off of my belt and hold it out to her. "Do you mean this?"_

_She nods, then glances at the altar. I follow her gaze back to the hollow, and realize what I have to do. I place my harp in the hollow, and it fits perfectly._

"_Now what?" I ask._

_Then the entire altar begins to glow, brighter than the sun. I'm surrounded by white light. I can feel myself change-no, awaken-inside._

_I remember now._

_As the light fades, I can see that my clothes have changed. I'm now wearing a flowing white dress that reaches to my ankles, and iridescent violet sandals and bracelets. My hair, which I usually wrap with ribbon, is now held with the same purple material._

_I've awoken inside. Now I remember who I am._

_I am the Goddess Hylia._

_I pick up my harp from my altar, and as soon as my fingers touch its surface, I'm thrown headlong into a memory of the old days._

Mido and I enter the clearing where the Deku Tree stands, and once again I'm awed by his sheer size. The hole at the base of the Tree still yawns like a giant mouth.

"That's how we get in," I say, more to myself than to Mido. We both walk inside, reluctant to meet whatever may be inside. Directly behind the entrance is a cavernous room, riddled with vines and spiderwebs. Crackling, scratching noises reverberate off the walls; the sound of creatures moving. In the middle of the floor is an enormous pit, leading down into the darkness. A wall of vines clings to the far side of the pit. Instinct tells me that this is where we need to go. I walk forward and Mido follows, both of us looking apprehensively around the room.

When we climb down to the bottom of the pit, we both drop down and begin rubbing our sore arms as we look around the next room. We're standing on a ledge, and the floor of the room a few feet below us is an inch deep in standing water. We hop across to another ledge on stone blocks placed in just the right place,and I head toward the nearest door, which I feel is the right way to go.

"Where are you going?" Mido asks, confused.

"...Through this door."

"There's no door there."

I turn back around and stare at the door. I move closer, and even squint at it. There's obviously a door right in front of me. Am I hallucinating?

"Sheik, are you okay?"

I walk forward, open the door, and peer inside. I can see into the next room. I turn back around to see a bewildered Mido standing a few yards away, his mouth hanging open. I walk back to him, and his eyes widen even further.

"What's the problem?" I ask.

"B-b-but there's no-" Mido sputters. "It's just a wall! You just walked through the wall!"

"You can't see the door?"

"No!"

I grab his hand and drag him up to the door, where he acts startled again.

"Whoa! How in Hyrule did that get there?! ...You can see through the wall?!"

"I...I guess I can," I realize. These Sheikah eyes serve more than one purpose! I'm able to see through illusions that can fool others! I open the door again, knowing that we need to keep going.

The room behind the secret door has a pit in the center, different from the one in the entrance. The pit stretches across from wall to wall, and there is no sign of vines we can climb on anywhere. There is a diamond-shaped plaque on the wall with a single eye painted onto it. There is nothing else in the room.

_If I'm the only one who can see through that wall illusion, there must be a reason I'm here, _I think to myself. _It must have something to do with that plaque…_

Acting on instinct again, I pull out one of my throwing knives and hurl it at the eye. It strikes right in the center, and the eye closes with a loud click. A wooden bridge appears out of nowhere, stretching across the pit. Then, on the other side, a beam of light appears on the ground, conjuring a painted treasure chest with the Hyrulian Royal Family Crest embellished on the front. Mido and I walk across the bridge in wonder, and I reach out to open the chest. As soon as my fingers touch the crest symbol, the chest clicks and opens, revealing the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Inside the chest is the golden instrument from my dreams. It is the harp that belonged to the girl in my dreams, and now I know that it belongs to me.

**Hope you liked! Please review, check out my dA page under the same username, and keep your eyes peeled for Chapter 7!**

**Love you all! ~FBA~**


	7. Music

**Hey, it's me, FBA! Sorry for the long wait (I realize it's been _very_ long), but this time I have _two_ chappies for you! I'll try to post more regularly on from now on, but as for now, enjoy Music and Friendship!**

I sit in Saria's little house, holding the instrument in my lap. I can't believe the connection between my dreams and my own life. My dreams have been so vivid ever since I left the Castle, they almost feel like… memories. They're a continuing thing, always beginning where the last one ended. I sigh and look up at the ceiling.

_Perhaps I'll never know what they mean._

I grasp the harp where it's wrapped, and pluck the strings with my other hand. The sound that results is astonishing. _I did that? I've never even touched this instrument before._

My brow furrows. I try to remember how the girl in my dreams plays it. As I pluck the strings, a song resonates throughout the little treehouse. It's a lighthearted melody, with slowly ascending and descending scales of chords. Some ancient memory awakens in me and I play as if I've been doing so for years. Some of the Kokiri come and stand in the doorway, listening. When I finish the song, they come inside, just as amazed as I am at my new musical skills.

"How did you do that?" Fado asks, eyes wide with curiosity.

"I… don't know," I reply, still unsure myself. "I've never even played this before, but now I just… remember how to play it."

Another Kokiri girl pipes up. "How can you remember if you never did it before?"

_Oh. But what if I _have _done it before?_

When I was a child, Impa told me a story of how the girl named Zelda who lived long ago was destined to be reincarnated. I've always thought it was just a fairy tale, a story meant to help me sleep. But now I realize that it wasn't. Maybe the girl in my dreams, who shares my name, was reincarnated ten years ago… and her spirit lives on in _me_.

"What's the matter, Sheik?" Fado asks, concerned.

I look up at her. "Oh, nothing." I didn't notice what I was doing with my face when I discovered who the girl in my dreams was. I must've looked sad or surprised, or both. I cheer up and put a happy face on, changing the subject. "Now, what do you rascals have planned today?"

All day, I carry my harp with me, refusing to let go of it or let anyone else touch it. It's a part of me now, and I will keep it with me forever. Now that I know its importance, I will protect it with my life just as I would my kingdom.

At dinner, we sit and talk and laugh together, just as we did last night. I notice a change in Mido; he's no longer as depressed as he was before, after going into the Deku Tree this morning. I'm glad I made a difference here, whatever little, in my search for the next step in my journey.

Afterward, Saria pulls out her clay ocarina and begins playing a song, an infectious one that sounds like the forest and makes you want to dance. I join in with my harp, complementing Saria's melody like an experienced musician. One of the Know-It-All Brothers runs to his house and brings back a lute*, joining in with the little wooden instrument. We all play and dance the night away, not caring about any curfews or bedtimes, or about what we have to do tomorrow, but just enjoying ourselves and having more fun than I've had in my entire life. We spend the night dancing in the light of the fairies and the wisps that float in the air.

I wish I could live like this, live here with the Kokiri. But as I go back with Saria to her house, I know that soon I'll have to leave the forest and continue helping my kingdom, and Link, in any way I can.

Tomorrow I have to go and find Ganondorf.

_I stand on a cloud, gazing down at the world I created._

It is such a beautiful place, _I muse, letting my eyes wander over the forests, the lakes, the mountain of fire. I can see the sparks flying off of the lava that surrounds it. I can hear the heartbeats of the creatures living and thriving in its heat. I can see and feel everything, and I love the energy of life that my world gives off._

_And yet, I know that if I do nothing, it will all soon be destroyed._

_I place my hand on Zeus' neck, burying my fingers in his soft red feathers, feeling the blood course through his veins. He turns his majestic head toward me, peering into my soul with a golden eye the size of my outstretched hand. _

Shall we go, then? _He projects the thought into my mind._

Yes, _I answer. _The sooner we go, the better.

_He lowers his body to the ground, allowing for me to mount him. Once I have settled on his back, he stands and stretches out his magnificent wings._

_And then we are off, diving down below the clouds, to begin our search for the Courageous One who will help us defeat the Demon King._

_As we fly down to the ground, the humans there standing on the ramparts of a castle begin to shout with fear. The fire arrows at us, their hands shaking, and Zeus avoids the projectiles easily. One of the humans, a tall, blond fellow clad in green, calls to them to hold their fire as he notices my form riding on Zeus' back. As we alight on the soft grass, the humans stare at us in wonder._

"_I am the White Goddess, Hylia," I introduce myself proudly. Then, gesturing to Zeus, I explain, "This is a Loftwing- a bird of the gods."_

_The humans are taken aback, completely astounded by this. "A goddess?" they ask, bewildered. "It's Hylia's Guardian Goddess!"_

_Zeus is amused and disappointed. _Hmph! _he huffs._ Our search is in vain, Hylia. They are so fearful that they cannot tell gods from demons! That is how useless these humans are. The one I seek will not be found here in this lower world. Someone able to fight the Demon King with me! Someone worthy to be my rider!

"'_Useless'?!" the blond one challenges. "If you seek souls to fight alongside you, we are here, Loftwing! We will defeat the Demon King!"_

_My heart stops, then starts again, faster. _Have we found the one who will save my world? The one who is able to defeat the One who wishes to destroy it?

_Zeus' curiosity is piqued, as well. _Oh? And who might you be? _he charges the man in green._

"_Link, he answers, "A knight of the land of Hylia. Humans may look small in the eyes of a god, but there are those among us who have the courage to fight!"_

_Zeus spreads his wings and takes to the air. _If this is so, then show me how much a human is worth!

_I summon the Sword of the Gods, and when it appears, I hold it in my hands. "The fearsome Demon King will soon raze the surface world with the fires of destruction. I cannot stand aside while my land and people fall to ruin. My people, you can escape to the sky. The Loftwing will show you the way."_

_The humans question us yet again. "To the sky?" They echo. "We aren't birds. And the Loftwing has already left us."_

_I continue with my instructions, ever patient with my people. "The Master Sword, a blade that repels evil, will sunder the earth and act as a pillar to support the land as it floats up to the sky. And yet, it was created by the gods, meant for our use alone. In order to exert its power on the surface world, it must be reforged by human hands… The hands of the most honorable hero in the land."_

_I turn to the man in green, whose courageous spirit I can sense, and whom I know can complete this task. As I hold the sword out to him, offering it for him to take, he looks humbly down at the ground._

"_Goddess," he says quietly. "I was imprisoned for a long time, and my honor tarnished. I couldn't possibly lay hands on this sacred sword."_

_I look upon him with compassion. Yes, I have seen him in his cell, I have noticed his suffering many times as I have swept my all-seeing eyes over my kingdom. I know very well what he has been through. His refusal to take the Master Sword is not one made out of vanity or contempt, but of the most profound humility. Truly, this man is the most honorable in the land, even though he does not acknowledge it._

"_This blade knows whether or not you are tarnished," I say at length. "Link. Do you intend to take revenge on the kingdom that you held in contempt? Or will you save it from doom?"_

_He looks back up at me. Something smolders behind his eyes. "Regardless of whether you are humans or gods, all of you seek my answer. Truly," he laughs bitterly, "You use me whenever it suits you. But, right now, it goes without saying-my spirit will always stand with my friends!" He takes the sword, and all of the humans rally behind him as he goes to the forge, calling, "Stoke the fires! With the goddess's strength, we shall take to the sky!"_

_I open my eyes, my spirit returning to the spring in the heart of the Skyview Temple._

_I remember…_

_I remember the war. The Demon King unleashing his evil forces upon my world. The army of humans, lead by Link the Honorable, fighting by my side. Link himself charging into battle, the reforged Master Sword held in his left hand. His confrontation with the Demon King, when the Evil One's claws viciously tore his flesh and he fell to the ground, mortally wounded. Zeus' return, when he realized Link's power and lifted the human onto his own back, vowing that they would ride together for eternity._

_I remember my charge to the humans whom I saved: "My country… My beloved people of Hylia… My humans. Live on and bear descendants-where the hands of the wicked cannot reach you, beyond the great sea of clouds, at the highest limits of the sky. And there, guard the legacy of the gods-the triforce-from the wicked!"_

_I remember, with a single swipe of the Master Sword, carving out of the earth the place in which my people would live for ages to come. I remember returning the sword to Link's hand. His thrusting the sword into the ground, causing the land to begin its ascent into the sky._

_I remember him sending the sword with the humans. And staying behind on the ground._

_I remember defeating the Demon King, sealing him away inside the earth amid his curses and vows to return, stronger, and take over the earth._

_I remember alighting on the ground and seeing Link's form sitting slumped against a rock, the only living thing left in this desolate landscape._

_I remember realizing… that he was gone._

_Gone… forever._

_I remember holding his body in my arms, the feeling of compassion I once held for him changing into something completely different, something more, something beautiful._

_It must have been what the humans called… love._

_I remember feeling the hot tears come to my eyes and spill down my cheeks, pooling under my chin._

_I had never felt so much before, and as I cradled Link's lifeless form, I inwardly cursed the Demon who would have seen my kingdom burn to ashes, and I cursed the war that killed the man I only then realized I'd fallen in love with. I explained to him what I should have told him long before._

"_Your imprisonment was willed by the heavens. It was meant to make you strong. Like a sword hammered and honed so that it would never break. It was necessary to transform you into one fit to wield the Master Sword…_

"_The sword was tempered by your spirit. You woke it, and will serve as its master for all eternity. This is because you deeply love the land of Hylia and all its people as much as I do. But because of this, your life has been full of suffering. I have watched you and felt your pain like a knife through my body._

"_I will ensure that your gentle, heroic spirit will live on eternally. And I… I shall shed my divinity. The next time we meet, I wish to stand before you as a simple human._

"_Whenever the land of Hylia is in danger, we shall be reborn…"_

I wake up feeling exhausted, like all of my energy has been drained from my limbs. I slowly and reluctantly drag myself out of bed and stretch.

_Today I need to meet the man who plans to destroy my kingdom._

I walk into the Lost Woods in search of Saria, and follow the sound of her ocarina until I come to the woodland maze, then plow my way through the Dekus until I walk into the little clearing, where Saria sits playing. She stops and smiles at me. "Hello, Sheik."

"Saria… I'm going to leave you today."

The smile drops from her face. "Why?"

"Because I have to go. I have to meet someone."

"Why can't you just stay here?"

"Believe me, I have had the time of my life here with you in the forest. I wish I could stay, but...well… You are the only one of the Kokiri who would understand: the world outside the forest is in danger. Evil is casting a shadow across the land of Hyrule. I believe you and the other Kokiri are safe here, because you are so hidden. But I have to go and do what I can to help save Hyrule."

"Oh! I wish I could help you, but I can't leave the forest. None of us can. If we do, the energy of life that fills the forest will leave us, and we will grow old and die."

"I don't think it's a safe place for the Kokiri out there anyway. Or a safe place for anyone."

"But _you're_ going out there!"

I smile. "I guess I'll just have to be careful, won't I?"

All of the Kokiri come to the entrance of the tunnel to see me off. I sling a small pack of food over my shoulder and wave to them as I back out of the village. Saria stands at the front of the small group of children, smiling, with sadness in her eyes. I turn into the tunnel and walk through onto the little wooden bridge.

"Wait!"

I turn back around to see Saria running through after me. She stops in front of me with clasped hands.

"Promise you'll come back to see us soon?"

"It probably won't be anytime soon, but someday-when this evil has passed and Hyrule is safe again-I promise I will come and see you. I'll even bring Impa with me, if I can. But for now, forget about me. Live and be happy in the shade of the trees. I'll see you again."

She seems to gather up her courage and banish her sadness."Okay. Goodbye, Sheik. See you again someday!" She smiles and waves.

"Goodbye."

I will come back someday, after this mess is over. Perhaps I'll be able to show the Kokiri my true self. But now I need to focus on finding Ganondorf.

I set off toward the Gerudo Desert, where he is from, clutching my harp in one hand and my provisions in the other, hoping that one of the Gerudo will know where he is. I pray that I'm ready to hide under the nose of the enemy.

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review, I love hearing from you guys!**

***You guys know what a lute is, right? Right.**

**Love you all! ~FBA~**


	8. Friendship

**This chapter was a really long time in the making, but I like how it turned out, so I hope you all enjoy! I'm really excited for the next one XD**

As I travel across Hyrule Field, I try not to run into anyone on the way. I don't want to have to explain myself, or make a new friend, lest I betray them in the service of Ganondorf.

_I just hope my people are alright._

I send a prayer to the Goddesses that this will all be over soon, and that I won't have to kill anyone while I'm working for the enemy.

The grass under my feet is soft and green, the sun overhead is bright, and the air around me is fresh. There cannot be a more beautiful place than Hyrule. I can only hope it will stay that way until the Hero is ready and this risky charade can be over.

I walk across the huge expanse of Hyrule Field for the second half of the day, having left Kokiri Forest at noon; I don't run headlong like before, saving my energy for whatever lies ahead for me in the desert. I'm in no hurry to meet the man who is trying to kill me. I reach the hill atop which sits Lon Lon Ranch just as the sun is setting, and I'm reluctant to enter the ranch, so I sit against the rock formation that rises up out of the ground and unpack a small supper from my satchel, forcing myself to relax and think of nothing.

A sound rises bodiless from the ground a few yards away from where I sit: a faint, cackling giggle that evaporates into the air as quickly as it forms. I pull out a dagger, not trusting strange sounds coming from nowhere, and a shape appears before me, a hovering figure dressed in filthy white rags, a black face and two glowing blue eyes peeking out of the figure's hooded cowl. An ornate, tarnished lantern dangles from the creature's spindly fingers. It cackles again, and I stand, placing my satchel and harp against the rock. It backs away, and I follow carefully, keeping the same distance between us. Then, suddenly, it swoops around me to where I was sitting and snatches my satchel off the ground, carrying it away.

"_Bulblins_- Get back here, I need that!" I chase after the monster, enraged, as it flies tauntingly around me, leading me all over the stupid field and running me ragged. I finally pull out a throwing knife and hurl it at the creature's stupid face. It hits right between the eyes, injuring the thing and then disappearing. The monster continues to fly around. I pull out another knife and throw it, and this time when it hits, the creature stops, and then evaporates, its little lantern falling from its hand and smashing on the ground as its holder disappears. I am left standing in the middle of Hyrule Field, my satchel lying where the monster died. I walk over and pick it up, flinging it halfheartedly over my shoulder. When I return to my spot next to the ranch, I plop down onto the ground and lean back against the rock, breathing heavily.

_So much for saving my energy._

I pull a biscuit out of the satchel and eat, hoping to the Goddesses that another ghost-monster won't show up and steal my food again. Before I even finish, I hear thunder in the distance and look to see dark clouds rolling in from the ocean beyond the Zora's Domain. It's going to be a bad storm, and the sun has almost sunk completely behind the horizon. I decide to find shelter for the night.

The clouds shadow Lon Lon Ranch before I expect, and as I make my way up the steps to the ranch, the rain begins coming down, and I'm soaked before I arrive, walking in between the stables until I find a door with an unreadable sign hanging over it. The sky is dark and the rain muddles my vision. I open the door and enter a room filled with… Cuccos. There must be at least ten in the little room, all clucking and making a fuss over my entering.

A portly, unkempt man sits on the floor leaned against a table, snoring raucously. I shake him to wake him up.

"Huh, what? I'm awake! Er, who are you?"

"I just need a place to stay for the night. The storm outside is terrible."

"Is it now?" He stand up laboriously and stretches, then goes and opens the door. Outside there is only murky wet blackness and the sound of fat drops of rain splashing into puddles, drenching the grass and the soil beneath. No shape is visible in the solid black and ruthless rain. "Well, I'll be; it's pretty bad out there. Have you got any money for the fee?"

"M-money?" I didn't think to bring rupees with me when I left the Castle; I didn't think I would need to pay for anything as an exile. My eyes sink to the floor. "No. I didn't know I needed to pay."

"Well," the man says, looking back out at the inky dark outside, "I can't kick a kid like yourself into a storm like _that_... So you can stay for the night."

"I can?"

"_If_ you work for me at the ranch all day tomorrow to pay it off. You got time for that, son?"

"Yes! Thank you, Mr…"

"Talon. The guest room's right up those stairs. Make yourself at home, and I'll see you at dawn."

"Thanks again, Mr. Talon! I'll work hard tomorrow!"

Maybe I'm just looking for excuses not to meet Ganondorf, or maybe I'm not. Maybe the Goddesses have a hand in all of this, and they were the ones who sent the rain in order to delay my trip to the desert. All I know is that secretly, I'm glad for the rain, and even more so for finding a place to stay before I die, drenched, outside in the wind and rain and darkness.

_As the memories fade, I sink to my knees, my face in my hands._

_Impa puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright, Zelda?"_

"_Those memories… were mine," I say shakily. "And the war… It was all so…" I lose the ability to speak. So much had happened in my past; this, combined with the realization that I was once a goddess, is just too much._

And that man in green… His face, it seems so familiar. What was his name…?

_I look up at Impa, who clearly doesn't understand me. She must not have seen what I saw. But she must understand who I am, otherwise she would not have bowed to me, she would not be here to help me with whatever I need to do here on the Surface._

"_Come on," she offers me a hand. "We must go. The black diamonds you saw forming in the last room are an ill omen."_

"_What were they?"_

"_They belonged to Ghirahim, he who pulled you down out of the clouds in order to capture you. When those diamonds appear, so will he. He must still be in the room, but he will never be able to open that door, let alone set foot in a sacred place such as this. But we must keep going, before he guesses where we are headed and decides to show up first."_

"_Alright. Where are we going next?"_

"_To the next Spirit Spring, in the Fire Temple deep inside the Eldin Volcano."_

_Volcano? Fire Temple? What am I getting myself into?_

_We travel out of the forest to a place where no trees grow. The sky is a reddish-gray, the soil is dusty and red, and tiny orange glowing specks float around above our heads._

"_It's so hot," I complain as we slog through the moisture in the dense air._

"_Come on, we're nearly to the volcano. That's where the going gets hard."_

_I groan inwardly as we keep going. "Impa, what's a volcano?"_

_We come up over a hill, and the most massive rock I have ever seen in my life appears in front of us. I stand and gape at its awesomeness. _Will the Surface world ever cease to amaze me? _The huge red rock looms over us, jagged and monstrous, with glowing orange rivers flowing down the sides. It's quite far away, but still I can tell it's enormous beyond measure._

_Impa looks up at the top, where more glowing water spews into the air. Black smoke rises lazily from it, looking almost like a chimney. "That," she says, gesturing to the rock, "is a volcano."_

"_What's the orange stuff?"_

"_Lava. It's extremely hot molten rock. Basically, it's fire water, and if you touch it, you'll be more than burned. Let's keep going."_

_I tear my eyes away from the volcano and look down at the ground. There's a river of lava flowing just to the left of where we're standing, the heat from it nearly unbearable. We're standing on a ledge, it seems, or the ground below the lava is lower. We keep walking, and I stare back up at the volcano._

_Suddenly, there's no ground beneath my left foot. For a split second, I'm falling-_

_And then Impa's hand closes around my arm. "Watch your step. You'll get yourself killed in this volcano if you keep being so absent-minded."_

_I hold a hand to my chest, feeling my heart thumping through my shirt. Impa's right. I need to focus while we're here._

_We continue, I keeping my eyes on the ground this time. We hop over rocks floating in lava and reach a point where we can see all of the space leading up to the volcano, then yet another surprise hits me as two creatures pop up out of the ground. They look like enormous mice with long, pointy muzzles, muscular arms, and long black claws, and to me they look like they only came out of the ground from the waist up._

_The one on the left, the one with the brown hair, speaks. "Well, lookee what we have here, Cobal! Two lovely ladies wanderin' inta the volcano! Whatta you damsels doin' in such a dangerous place?"_

_Impa crosses her arms and shifts her weight. "We're headed for the Fire Temple. We have business there. Do you have a problem?"_

_The brown-haired one raises his hands. "Hey, ya don't gotta be so defensive, lady! We ain't the bad guys here! I was just in the temple a coupla hours ago, an' I almost got my bomb bag stolen by some ugly mug with an axe! Those stupid Bokoblin guys get on my nerves."_

"_Yeah, an' those red creeps, too," The other one with the green hair, Cobal, says angrily. "I _hate _those things. Ya can't get _nowhere _with 'em breathin' fire at ya alla time!"_

"_Why don't we introduce ourselves? The name's Ledd, an' this is Cobal. We're part of the Mogma Tribe that's kinda in charge of this place."_

"_Hey Ledd, you think we could help these ladies get ta the volcano?"_

"_Oh, would you?" I ask, excited about running into the _least _amount of evil monsters possible._

_Ledd waves a clawed hand. "Eh, sure, blondie. We can getcha to the temple entrance through the tunnels, but that's as far as I'll go for now. The monsters in there're worse than they usually are lately."_

_When we emerge from the tunnel, the temple entrance stands in front of us, an enormous, ornate door at the very top of the volcano._

_Ledd turns to Impa. "Are you sure you wanna go in there, lady?"_

"_Yes. We have something very important to do."_

"_Alright then. Here's the key; it'll getcha inside."_

"_I'd be real careful, though," says Cobal. "Those monsters are mighty nasty."_

_We thank them, and Impa takes the key, which is more like a carved ornament of some fearsome creature, and the two of us open the lock. But as the doors swing open, a shadowy figure becomes barely visible, hunched in the darkness. Impa makes a strangled noise, and I whirl around to look for her, but she's gone. I look over to the Mogmas, who point, who yell about something behind me, and then I feel a familiar sharp pain in the back of my head. I see stars, and then blackness._

I wake to the shrill crow of the Cucco cock sitting on my chest.

"W-what…" As my sleepy vision clears, I can see him better.

And he's blue.

He seems to be pretty friendly, so I pick him up and carry him downstairs. He nestles into my bent elbow on the way down.

Talon is awake, sweeping the floor as best as he can with some ten Cuccos running around the room.

"Where in Hyrule did you get a _blue_ Cucco cock?" I ask him.

"Oh, that's Cojiro. He used to be my brother's." He chuckles. "And I don't think even _he_ knows where he got 'im!"

I smile, forgetting for a moment that my scarf hides my mouth, and put Cojiro on the floor. He scuttles off into a crowd of hens, making them fuss and flap all over the place.

"Alright," Talon says, leaning on his broom handle. "Here's what you're gonna do today."

I lug a bucket of dry corn outside and toss a handful onto the ground. The Cuccos swarm around me, winding around my legs and almost knocking me over in their food frenzy.

There is music floating in the air; it sounds like it's coming from the corral on the plateau.

I walk towards the corral, stepping carefully, and when I get close enough I can make out a girl standing there among the horses, singing so loudly and clearly that her voice rings throughout the ranch. She stops and smiles at me as I approach.

"You have a beautiful voice," I say.

She blushes a little. "Thanks. The horses love it when I sing to them."

We study each other for a moment. The girl is around my age, with a wild shock of bright red hair and big blue eyes set in a round face. She looks at me with her head cocked to the side, and then realizes she's staring and looks away shyly. "My name's Malon." She looks back up again. "What's your name?"

"M-My name is Sheik. I came here to spend the night because of the storm, but I had no money, so I'm going to work for Mr. Talon today."

"Well, my father usually falls asleep before he gets any work done, so we'll be doing most of it! Us and Ingo, that is."

We hear a nearby voice. "You talkin' about me behind my back?" The mustachioed man pitching hay over in the stables eyes us accusingly.

Malon yells to him, "We were just talking about how great a worker you are, Ingo!"

The man, Ingo, rolls his eyes and mumbles something inaudible as he goes back to work.

Malon turns to me with a sigh. "He really does work hard, but he complains about everything."

"I know exactly what you mean," I laugh. Some of the guards at the castle did nothing but complain.

We work hard all day together, gathering eggs, pitching hay, cleaning out stalls, and milking cows. I've never done any of this myself before, because my attendants used do everything like this at the castle, and my job was to study and stay out of the way. I never imagined having a farm would be so much work!

By the time we finish everything, the sun is going down. I say goodbye to everyone at the ranch and set off again.

"It's gettin' dark. You sure ya don't wanna stay another night?" Talon said. "Why, you worked so hard today, this one'll be on me!"

I had to refuse. I need to reach the desert as soon as possible. I need to know what Ganondorf has been up to since he became the self-imposed King of Hyrule, and what he's planning on doing with that power.

_What's wrong with me?_ I think to myself, looking back on my day with the friendly ranch owner and his daughter. _I'm trying not to make any friends! I guess I just can't help myself._

But then something occurs to me. What if I pretend to be evil when I reach Ganondorf, but act as encouragement to my people when he isn't looking?

I have the power of wisdom; can I pull it off?

**Hope you liked, please review!**

**Love you all! ~FBA~**


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